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Pitha is a popular category of cakes and breads in India and Bangladesh, made from rice flour and filled with various ingredients. They can be sweet or savory and are often presented as small dumplings or flat crackers. Pithas are commonly served year-round and are also an important part of festival celebrations.
Pitha, or pithe as it is spelled in most Bengali dialects, is a broad category of cakes and breads popular throughout India and Bangladesh. Most pithas are small snack-based dumplings or biscuits traditionally made from rice flour and filled with any number of vegetables, sugary nuts, or spices. Some varieties are reserved for cultural or religious festivals, although they are somewhat consumed year-round in homes and restaurants in Bangladesh and North India.
There is no single pitha recipe, as the term is more like a category than a specific food, as many different varieties of cakes are included in the title. Rice flour is the most common base, but wheat flour or cornmeal can also be used. Most are sweet, but not all are. The ingredients are generally things that are seasonally available or personally pleasing to the cook, resulting in an adaptable range of Indian desserts.
Most desserts are presented as small dumplings, although they can also take the form of flat crackers or shaped biscuits. The basic pitha dough is comparable in all presentations, usually made from a combination of rice flour and oil or ghee, known as ghee. The dough is worked into a round dish, spiced or sweetened to taste, then filled or baked as is.
The fillings for these Indian breads can be savory or sweet, although they very rarely contain meat. A very plain pitha can be filled with little more than coconut and brown sugar, known as jaggery. More complex versions include sweetened steamed vegetables, candied nuts, various cheeses or curried lentils. The filling can be combined directly into the dough to create a flavored round confection or filled and sealed to create a more traditional dumpling.
Flat pithas are usually presented as crackers to be topped with a prepared chutney sauce or spread, or as standalone bread snacks, often in intricate shapes, to be enjoyed on their own. The pieces can be baked, fried or steamed and are commonly served all day, year round. Pithas with potatoes are common breakfast foods, particularly in the northernmost states of India, and the sweet varieties are commonly served with both morning and afternoon tea.
Especially in Bangladesh, this bread is also an important part of many different festival celebrations. Many Bangladeshi communities have special types of pitha which are only made at certain times of the year to coincide with religious and cultural festivals. Specific ingredients, preparation styles, and festival mandates vary from place to place.
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